


Dancing Deer in the Moonlight

by Simitria



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: A novelization of sorts, But Did Edelgard Give a Shit? no, Children Should Not Have to Fight In War, Claude von Riegan is a Little Shit, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd Needs a Hug, F/F, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Church Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Church Route Spoilers, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route Spoilers, Honestly Fuck Edelgard, I Love Rhea But I also Want to Slap Her, I Promise I won't Bash Edelgard in the fic, I am not an Edelgard Fan, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pairings to be added, Seteth is Suffering, Slow Burn, Slow Updates, Sorry Not Sorry, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, no beta we die like Glenn, not much, these kids are traumatized
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28511424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simitria/pseuds/Simitria
Summary: Byleth's life took a turn when he took the teaching position at Garreg Mach Monastery. But he never could have expected what would come next...
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter One

** _Chapter One_ **

Byleth knew emotions weren't his strong suit. Oh, he felt them just fine, the same as everyone else, but it was showing them that was difficult for him. No matter how he tried, his emotions just weren't noticeable on his face. His inability to express anything was what caused his father's mercenaries to begin calling him the Ashen Demon. Byleth couldn't exactly express how uncomfortable the name made him feel. It wasn't that he felt nothing when he killed his enemies - it was just that he couldn't express it. He still thought of them, and though he didn't think himself religious, he would send prayers to the goddess wishing the families of those he had slain well.

He often wondered if his father realized that his child loved him, even if Byleth couldn't express it. It was no secret that Jeralt adored his child, and still felt deep and intense love for his late wife, Byleth's mother. Byleth wished he had known her. From what little Jeralt had said about her, his mother had seemed like an incredible person. She, much like he, had also had difficulty expressing emotion. Which was perhaps why Jeralt took Byleth's stoicism in stride.

So it was because of this stoicism that Byleth now found himself staring blankly at the ceiling of the home they were staying at after yet another nightmare of a war. The mercenaries had been in Remire for a few weeks now, and since Jeralt was the leader, he and Byleth got to stay in one of the empty homes while the others camped out.

His father chose that moment to come in from outside.

"Hey kid, you okay?"

Byleth startled at the question, his mind having drifted from the dream of the war to the dream of the strange looking young woman on the throne that had come right after. For some reason the girl in his dream had been asking him about his date and moon of birth. He'd been surprised, but he had answered truthfully. His birthday was the tenth day of Wyvern Moon. She had looked faintly surprised then, before saying that it was her date of birth also.

"Kid?"

Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, Byleth glanced at his father. "I'm fine. I had the dream again last night."

Jeralt sighed. "Massive armies clashing on a vast field, right? There hasn't been a battle like that in over three centuries.. in any case, just put that out of your mind for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts."

"Yes, Father," Byleth agreed.

"Risking your life is part of our job as mercenaries," Jeralt continued, explaining it as he had dozens of times before. "Letting your mind wander is a sure way to get yourself killed."

"I know. I promise I will stay focused."

Jeralt studied his son for a brief moment before nodding, seemingly pleased with the answer. "Okay, time to get moving. Our next job is in the Kingdom."

"The Holy Kingdom?" Byleth questioned. "Faerghus, right?"

"That's right. I told you before, it's far from here, so we'll need to leave at dawn," Jeralt explained.

"Of course," Byleth agreed immediately.

Jeralt smiled. "Everyone is already waiting for us outside."

"Jeralt, sir! Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed." One of the mercenaries said as he rushed into the small house.

"What's happened?"

"Three kids appeared from the forest, seems like they're being chased by some bandits that want to kill them," the mercenary explained quickly, keeping to only the important details. "They've requested our help. What should we do?"

"I'd like to speak with these kids," Jeralt decided. "Byleth, let's go. If there's a fight, I'm going to want you to watch out for those kids."

"Yes, sir." Byleth followed silently at his father's heels as they stride outside.

Just as the mercenary had said, three kids around Byleth's age (maybe even younger?), were loitering near some of the mercenaries. They were each dressed in similar uniforms, differentiated only by the color of their capes. The silver haired girl with the fair skin and purple eyes donned a red cape, while the blonde hair blue eyed boy next to her wore blue, and the tan skinned brunette with green eyes wore a yellow cape.

The blonde turned his attention to them as they approached and gave a stiff bow. "Please forgive our intrusion. We wouldn't bother you were the situation not dire."

Jeralt examined them silently before speaking . "What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?"

 _Trying to catch them in a lie,_ Byleth realized. They didn't know these kids, the story of a bandit attack could be a ruse to get the mercenaries to let their guard down.

"We're being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend your support." The blonde explained, keeping his voice even and calm despite the panic that was in his eyes.

"Bandits? Here?" Jeralt sighed, running a hand through his sandy hair.

"It's true," the silver haired girl chimed in. "They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp."

"We've been separated from our companions and we're outnumbered," the tanned skinned boy continued. "They're after our lives… not to mention our gold."

"I'm impressed you're staying so calm considering the situation," Jeralt praised, seeming to believe their story. "I… wait. That uniform…"

Byleth sent his father a quizzical look. Why on earth did his father look so bothered by the clothes these three kids were wearing?

"Bandits spotted just outside the village!" One of the mercenaries reported as he ran up. "There are a lot of them."

"I guess they followed you all the way here," Jeralt commented, sending the three kids a dry look. "We can't abandon the village now. Byleth, you stick with these three kids. You three, do exactly what my son tells you. He's got experience in battle that you likely do not. Follow his commands to the letter. The rest of us will spread out and keep the bandits from the village."

"Yes, Father," Byleth agreed.

Jeralt laid his hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before leading the other mercenaries off.

Byleth turned his attention back to the three. "Alright, you. With the bow."

The one in yellow smiled charmingly, pointing to himself with a teasing grin on his face. "Me?"

"Yes, you use a ranged weapon, so I want you to stay back for now," Byleth ordered. "Archers can't properly do their job if they are too close, and you look a bit too young to be skilled enough at archery for close combat. Stay back in the tree line and cover the three of us as we advance."

He then turned his attention to the woman and the blonde. "You use an axe? And you a lance?"

The two nodded.

"You'll be on the frontlines with me," Byleth decided. "Attack when I tell you to, retreat when I tell you to. Failure to listen to my orders could result in the bandits injuring you."

"But isn't injury a risk anyway?" The woman questioned, eyes and voice sharp as the blade of her axe.

"Yes, but better not to take any unnecessary chances." Byleth stared at her until she looked away, unnerved by the stoicism on his face.

"We'll take down the enemies in front," Byleth decided. "It will give the rest pause before they rush in. I will take the first one, you two stick with me. And you stay in the back with your bow."

Byleth darted forward quickly, striking out with his sword in a manner that spoke of years of experience. The bandit tried to counter the blow by blocking it, but Byleth was as quick as a snake, shifting and using fancy footwork to slide under the bandits guard and send the sword slicing across his side.

"Now, girl!"

The silver haired woman rushed forward and swung her axe as the bandit was distracted, easily finishing him off with a killing blow.

The boy with the bow rushed forward and grinned at Byleth. "It's cause of you guys that I'm not dead right now. Thanks for that! I didn't expect to run into mercenaries like you in some remote village. The gods of fortune must be smiling on me."

The blonde was right behind, eyes wide. "Thank you," he said earnestly, staring at Byleth.

He reminded Byleth of a puppy, in a way, while the brunette was more like a scheming fox.

"We are in your debt," the blonde continued, voice soft. "It wouldn't do for us to fall in a place like this. Please, lend us your strength. Let's work together to drive out these thieves."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Your Highness," the brunette teased, grinning at his companion.

The silver haired girl let out a soft sigh at the brunette's antics before focusing her gaze on Byleth. "You have a strange aura about you… You say you're a mercenary, so show me what you can do."

Byleth sent her a blank look. "Go into the trees. You're small and agile, the bandits will have a harder time hitting you while also navigating the difficult terrain."

She nodded before darting into the cover of the trees. Byleth turned his attention to the two boys with him. "You, take your bow and get into those trees there. Hide behind one, give yourself a vantage point to cover us from. You'll be sticking with me."

The blonde nodded as the brunette casually strolled into the small group of trees a few feet from them, making some sly comment on how he'd never climbed a tree before.

From there, the battle was surprisingly easy. The girl with the axe was a force to be reckoned with as she cut her way through the bandit's western side while Byleth and the blonde boy charged through the front, easily cutting down the bandits that tried to intercept them. The brunette with the bow proved himself to be quite the marksman, taking down a few bandits himself when it looked like the enemy was about to get the upper hand on the others.

All that was left was the leader, who charged Byleth when he realized the battle was not going in his favor.

"You with the blank stare! Outta my way!"

Byleth nimbly dodged the swing of the axe and brought the hilt of his sword down on the man's face, hearing the crunch that indicated that Byleth had broken his nose. Quickly readjusting his hand position, Byleth swung, sword slicing across the man's back. The bandit staggered for a moment before falling to the ground.

"Big talk for a guy who didn't even land a blow," the brunette commented dryly, looking amused.

Byleth turned to look at the boy and that was his mistake. In a flash the bandit leader was up and charging toward the silver haired girl, axe swinging down. Byleth moved quickly, throwing himself between the axe and the girl, his back to the enemy. A fatal mistake, he knew, and he had resigned himself to such.

Suddenly, everything went dark, and Byleth for a moment felt as if he was trying to move through quicksand.

 _**Honestly** _ _!_ _**What are you accomplishing with that little stunt?!** _

Byleth twisted this way and that, recognizing the voice from the girl in his dreams. He turned and there she was, seated on her throne and looking very annoyed with him.

 _ **It's like you're trying to get me killed, you fool!**_ She heaved a weary sigh. _**Well, it's fine. After all, if you don't know the value of your own life, you're not going to protect it very well, are you? Course not.**_

"The value of my life..?" Byleth repeated, deeply confused.

The girl let out a soft giggle, clapping her hands together once as she floated up from her seat and gazed at him.

_**Well, then. I guess it's up to me to guide you from now on. Right? You can call me Sothis… but I'm also known as "The Beginning."** _

"So... this…" Byleth repeater thoughtfully. Something about this girl felt strangely familiar even though he was sure he'd never met her before in his entire life.

 _ **Hmm… Sothis…**_ the girl mused. _**Yes, that is it. My name is Sothis. And I am also called… The Beginning. But who once called me that?**_

"Do you not know?" Byleth questioned politely.

 _ **I was not able to recall my name… until just now.**_ The green haired floating spirit revealed. _**And just like that, it came to me. How odd. That look upon your face… Did you think me a child? A mere child who forgot her own name?!**_

Byleth shook his head. "I do not think that at all. Do not put words in my mouth."

 _ **Phooey! That 'child' just saved your life!**_ She continued to rant, looking displeased. _**And what does that make you?**_

"I am… less than a child?" Byleth questioned, thoroughly confused.

 _ **Correct. You understand.**_ Sothis smirked. _**You threw yourself before an axe to save just one young girl. Yet all is well, as I have stalled the flow of time for now. You would have died had I not intervened.**_ She crossed her arms, looking quite pleased with herself.

Byleth was floored. What on earth did she mean by stalling the flow of time? Had she manipulated time itself to stop his death? If so then she was more than a mere girl! Surely this specter was some sort of goddess or divine being with a power such as that.

"You stopped time?" Byleth questioned.

_**Hm. I do not hear your gratitude. Perhaps I should force you to leave?** _

Byleth stared at her blankly before bowing. "Thank you, Sothis."

_**There now. Is gratitude so much to ask? I did deem you worth saving, after all. Though it is only momentary, time has stopped. … however did I manage that…?** _

_So she doesn't know how she did it,_ Byleth realizes before clearing his throat. "What will happen when time resumes?"

 _ **When time begins again, the axe will tear into your flesh, and you will surely meet your end.**_ Sothis announced calmly. _**How rude of you to drag me into this! Now what to do…**_

"If you could stop time then… perhaps you could turn back the hands of time?" Byleth suggested. "If that is possible, I mean."

 _ **Of course! Yes… I do believe it can be done. You really are quite troublesome.**_ Sothis added, sending a glance toward Byleth. _**I cannot wind back time too far, but all is well. You are aware of what's to come, which means you can protect yourself this time. Now, go… yes, you who bears the flames within. Drift through the flow of time to find the answers that you seek…**_

Byleth felt as if he was falling and then suddenly, time resumed and he was watching the bandit leader charge toward the girl again. Farting forward, Byleth drew his sword before farting between them, turning quickly on his feet to deflect the blow with his sword. The bandit leader's axe left his hand as he was thrown back.

"Hey! Over here!"

The girl's two companions rushed over, looking relieved. The bandits fled, half carrying half dragging their downed leader behind them as Jeralt came riding in on his horse.

"Hey… did you just…" he began, staring at Byleth with worry.

His question was cut off by a loud voice echoing through the trees.

"The Knights of Seiros are here! We'll cut you down for terrorizing our students." A pause followed by the same voice now sounding surprised. "Hey, the thieves are running away! Go after them!"

His knights quickly did as instructed as the bulky armored man with light brown hair strolled over to them. His gray blue eyes roamed over the students, as if cataloging every scrape and scratch.

"The students seem to be unharmed. And.. who's this?" His gaze went from Byleth to Jeralt before widening in surprise.

"Ugh… why him..?" Jeralt groaned under his breath, earning a questioning look from his son.

"Captain Jeralt?! It is you! Goodness, it's been ages."

"You know him?" Byleth questioned blankly, glancing between his father and the oddly exuberant knight.

"Don't you recognize me? It's Alois! Your old right-hand man! Well, that's how I always thought of myself anyway," the Knight - Alois- rambled absentmindedly. "It must have been twenty years ago that you went missing without a trace. I always knew you were still alive!"

Byleth was bewildered. This man knew his father twenty years ago? And what was this about Jeralt going missing? Byleth felt like he was in the dark about something and he wasn't sure it was a feeling he cared for.

"You haven't changed a bit, Alois," Jeralt replies, scratching at his beard thoughtfully. "Just as loud as ever. And drop that "captain" nonsense. I'm not your captain anymore. These days I'm just a wandering mercenary. One who has work to do. Good-bye, old friend. C'mon, kid."

Jeralt turned to walk towards his waiting mercenaries, who were all watching the scene while also pretending like they hadn't been listening in. Byleth sent the three students a lost look and a shrug before starting after his father.

"Stay safe," he told them as he passed.

"Right.. Good-bye, Captain," Alois said to other with a sad smile before jerking out of his surprise. "Wait! That isn't how this ends. I insist that you return to the monastery with me!"

Jeralt pauses, looking resigned. "Garreg Mach Monastery… I suppose this was inevitable."

"And how about you, kid? Are you the Captain's child?" Alois asked, turning his attention to Byleth.

Byleth nodded, face as blank as ever. "That is correct."

Alois studied him for a moment before smiling brightly. "Is that so? Well, physical differences aside, your mannerisms do remind me of the captain. I'd love for you to see the monastery too. You will join me, won't you?"

Byleth nodded. "I will."

Jeralt sighed. There was no stopping the kid now that he had made up his mind. Jeralt had never considered that he would one day find himself back at Garreg Mach Monastery. It was honestly the last place he wanted to go, but it was already easy to see that having run into these kids had changed something within his son. After all, Byleth had never risked his own life for someone else before.

"What's troubling you, Captain? You aren't about to run off again, are you?" Alois asked jokingly.

"Even I wouldn't dare run from the Knights of Seiros," Jeralt said seriously before following after the Knight, drawn into a conversation with his old friend.

 _ **The Knights of Seiros… they do seem rather skilled…**_ Sothis mused thoughtfully. _**Ah! It seems your presence is required.**_

Almost on cue the three students were staring at Byleth. Finally, the girl lifted her hand and motioned for him to come over, a gentle smile on her face.

"I appreciate your help back there," she said sincerely. "Your skill is beyond question. You're clearly an experienced mercenary. And your father.. that would be Jeralt, the Blade Breaker? Former Captain of the Knights of Seiros. Oft praised as the strongest knight to ever live. Have I missed anything?"

Byleth rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I did not know he was a captain."

"How curious. I'd wager the explanation for that is fascinating indeed," she mused.

"Hey! You are coming with us to the monastery, right? Of course you are," the brunette answered his own question, smiling a charming smile. "I'd love to bend your ear as we travel."

"Oh, well of course," Byleth answered.

"Oh, I should mention that the three of us are students of the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery," he explained, continuing on as if Byleth hadn't answered. "We were doing some training exercises when those bandits attacked. I definitely got the worst of it."

"That would be because you ran off," the girl jabbed, tone sharp and disapproving.

"Too true! I was the first to make a strategic retreat. Everything would have worked out if these two hadn't followed me and ruined everything. Because of them, every single one of those bandits chased after us. Utterly ridiculous."

 _Strategic retreat? I don't believe that for a second_. Byleth thought, laughing to himself internally. He quite liked these students.

"Ah, so that's what you were thinking, Claude," the blonde said, looking faintly surprised. "And here I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all."

The girl let out a frustrated sigh. "His intentions are as clear as day. You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words."

The blonde sent her a reprimanding look. "Hm. You will prove a lacking ruler yourself if you look for deceit behind every word and fail to trust those whom you rely on."

Claude rolled his eyes. "Oh, joy. A royal debate between Their Highnesses. I wonder how being completely predictable affects one's ability to wield power. Personally, as the embodiment of distrust, I'd say your little exchange smacks of naïveté."

Byleth cleared his throat awkwardly. "Come now, there's no need for -"

"Me? Naïve? Tell me, are you actually incapable of keeping quiet, or is your lack of self awareness a condition of some sort?" The girl snapped, looking annoyed.

"In any case, forgive our digression," the blonde interrupted, silencing the other two as he turned his attention to Byleth whose brain was only just now catching up with the fact that Claude had called the other two _Their Highnesses._ " I must speak with you, if you can spare a moment."

"Oh, of course," he replied softly, mind racing because, _oh shit, this guy was a prince and the girl was a princess_.

" The way you held your ground against the bandits' leader was captivating!" The blonde gushed, surprising Byleth. "You never lost control of the situation. It showed me I still have much to learn."

"Your skill is precisely why I must ask you to consider lending your skills to the Empire. I might as well tell you now. I am no mere student. I am also the Adrestian Empire's -"

 _The Adrestian Empire?_ Byleth thought, wishing he could emote just how gobsmacked he felt at this moment.

"Halt, Edelgard!" The blond cut her off, looking faintly irritated. "Please allow me to finish my own proposition. The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of exceptional individuals like yourself. Please, do consider returning to the Kingdom with me."

Claude stepped forward, looking amused. "Whoa, there! You two sure are hasty. Trying to recruit someone you just met. Tactless, really."

Byleth had a bad feeling about where this was going.

"I was personally planning to develop a deep and lasting friendship on our journey back to the monastery before begging for favors."

He really hated when he was right.

"But it seems there's no time for niceties in this world," Claude let out a fake long suffering sigh. "So, capable stranger, let's get right to it. Where does your allegiance lie?"

"I don't really have allegiance to anywhere," Byleth admitted. "All I have ever known is this band of mercenaries and my father. So… forgive me, but I cannot answer you at this time."

_**It seems one's place of birth is quite significant to them. Yet they are so impressed by your, that they would allow you to take your pick. Well? It would do well to make allies.** _

"Although…" Byleth hesitated before glancing at the ground. "I have always quite enjoyed the times when we travel to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus…"

"Faerghus is a noble and distinguished kingdom that has always valued chivalry," the blonde revealed. "It would be an honor to have you there, should you ever wish to call it home."

"I thank you," Byleth said politely, bowing to the prince.

"All right, that's enough with the small talk. It's time to head back to the monastery!" Alois announced as he walked over.

"Looks like we'll have to pick this up another time," Claude teased with a wink.

The three students followed after the Knight, leaving Byleth to stare at them as they walked away, speaking quietly to one another.

 _ **My, my. They are in such a hurry. You know… Each of the three is most unique…**_ Sothis mused questioningly.

_Edelgard is a refined young woman, but it feels like she is evaluating me, trying to gauge my worth to her. Claude has a striking smile and a fun loving personality, but his easy and cheerful grin does not reach his eyes. And the Prince of Faerghus… something dark lurks underneath his innocent sincerity._

_**Yes, I thought the same.**_ Sothis agreed before letting out a loud yawn. _**I am so sleepy again… I may be sleeping… but I…**_ Her voice faded, leaving Byleth alone with his thoughts.

It would seem that whatever future awaited them at Garreg Mach would prove to be very interesting indeed.

**_A/N: Y'all I don't know what I am doing start a fic that will take up so much time and be so long because it's Three Houses and never has there been so much to manipulate and unpack. I have played through Blue Lions and Golden Deer twice each, and I will likely continue to play through all the available routes multiple times during the writing of this fic, in order to gather and manipulate as much lore and character development as possible. So updates will likely be as slow as a snail on this, I hope you don't mind too much. :D_ **


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth settles into Garreg Mach and begins his first day of class as he gets to know the students of the Golden Deer and the Blue Lions and prepares them for the Mock Battle that is happening in a few short days.

_Chapter Two_

The journey to Garreg Mach from Remire Village took them approximately three days, and in that time Byleth felt he had grown to know the three students pretty well. Claude was a trickster, and someone who enjoyed hunting down the answers to questions and mysteries that intrigued him. Edelgard was proper, and she seemed the stubborn sort who would fight tooth and nail for whatever she wanted, no matter the outcome. Dimitri was a bit harder to pin. He was quiet and reserved, but every now and then Claude would be able to draw out the more playful side of the Prince of Faerghus. More often than not, the blonde was drawn out of his shell by Claude's gentle teasing, which usually left Dimitri flustered and floundering.

Byleth found it interesting that while Edelgard would often talk with her fellow House Leaders, she didn't seem to have the same kind of friendship with either of them that was growing between Dimitri and Claude. In fact, sometimes it seemed like she was purposefully keeping herself distanced from them. It was odd, and it put Byleth on edge because he didn't understand why the girl would want to do such a thing.

Byleth spent much of the journey in silence, though every now and then he would be drawn into conversations with the three. Dimitri in particular was impressed with how well Byleth handled his sword, and wondered if once they reached the monastery the older boy would mind sparring with him a couple of times. Byleth has stared at the young prince in bewilderment for a moment before acquiescing. Edelgard had cut in at that moment, voice all proper and unwilling to put up with nonsense as she asked Byleth if he had any experience with the axe.

"Some, but I'm not well off enough in it to beat you in a spar," he had answered honestly. "I've picked up a little bit of everything over the years, but I put focus into my swordsmanship more than anything else. If I had to fight with another weapon, I could manage, but I'd prefer my blade over anything else."

"A shame," Edelgard murmured.

"This will be your first time at the monastery," Dimitri commented as he and Claude fell back to walk next to Byleth and Edelgard. The blonde boy sent Byleth a soft, reassuring smile. "I'd be happy to show you around."

"It really is Fódlan in a nutshell," Claude added, smirking slightly. "The good and the bad."

Byleth considered the offer before nodding. "I would like that, Dimitri. You have my thanks."

"It is no trouble, truly," Dimitri insisted, waving off Byleth's thanks. "If we left it to Claude, he'd probably drag you into some sort of trouble."

"Trouble? Me?" Claude repeated, looking offended. "I would never."

"Like it or not," Edelgard cut in. "We'll be there soon enough."

Byleth glanced toward the girl, wondering why she didn't sound too pleased to return to the place she was currently calling home.

The trees began to thin out before the edge of the forest opened into grassy hills. Byleth felt his breath catch in his throat as he gazed upon the large castle for the first time. Truly, Garreg Mach Monastery made for a beautifully breathtaking sight.

"There it is… Garreg Mach Monastery."

The walk up the paths took them another half hour, but soon they were through the gates of the monastery. Byleth gazed around, knowing the wonder he felt did not reflect on his face.

"Rhea's here."

At his father's voice, Byleth glanced at him before following his gaze upwards to look at the woman watching them from the balcony above. She was too far away to make out many features, but her soft green hair as well as the ornamentation of her headdress were impossible to miss.

"Jeralt, Byleth, Lady Rhea wishes to see you," Alois informed them. "Jeralt, I'm sure you remember where the archbishop's chambers are?"

"Yes, we'll find it."

And now here they stood, waiting for her to appear before them.

Jeralt seemed nervous, if the stiff way he held himself was any sort of sign. "It's been years since I've last set eyes on this place. To be forced to see her now.."

"You've been here before?" Byleth questioned, sending his father a curious look.

"I've never spoken of this to you before, but… many years ago I was a knight here," Jeralt explained. "I reported to the archbishop… Lady Rhea."

Byleth contemplated his father's answer for a moment before nodding. He wouldn't press on why his father hadn't said anything to him about this. Instead, he focused on the second half of his answer. "The archbishop?"

"As you know, the majority of folks in Fódlan are devout followers of the teachings of Seiros," Jeralt scratches absentmindedly at his beard. "The leader of that ridiculously large religious organization is the archbishop, Lady Rhea. We saw her earlier on the balcony."

Byleth opened his mouth to ask more questions but fell silent when two sets of footsteps echoed through the room. The woman from the balcony, the archbishop, was walking towards them with a stern looking man with dark green hair close behind her.

"Thank you for your patience, Jeralt," the man began, not looking very pleased. "My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the archbishop."

"Right. Hello."

"Hello," Byleth echoes politely.

Lady Rhea smiled gently before speaking. "It has been a long time, Jeralt." Byleth was struck by the gentleness of her voice. "I wonder… was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?"

"Forgive my silence all these years," Jeralt responded as he bowed politely to Lady Rhea. "Much has happened since we last spoke."

Her gaze went to Byleth before returning to Jeralt, a soft laugh leaving her lips. "So I see. The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you. That is your child, is it not?"

"Yes," Jeralt nodded, averting his gaze from Lady Rhea's appraising eye. "Born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to the mother of my child… but I'm afraid we lost her to illness."

Byleth had to force himself not to send his father a bewildered look. Illness? Jeralt has always told Byleth that his mother had died giving birth to him. So who was Jeralt lying to - his son or the archbishop? And why was he lying in the first place?

Lady Rhea's sharp gaze softened. "I see. My condolences." Her gaze shifted to Byleth again. "As for you… I heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. What is your name?"

Byleth bowed politely. "My name is Byleth, Lady Rhea."

"A fine name indeed," she praised, smiling brightly. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students of the Officers Academy."

Jeralt let out a soft hmph, eyes closing thoughtfully.

"Jeralt, you already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?" Rhea questioned, hands folding over one another at the front of her dress.

"You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, don't you? I won't say no, but…"

"Your apprehension stings," Lady Rhea interrupted, looking slightly put out. "I had expected that Alois would have already asked this of you."

Seteth leaned over and whispered something in Lady Rhea's ear that made the archbishop sigh and nod in acquiescence.

"I must step away for now, but I expect they will desire a word with you soon," Lady Rhea informed Jeralt. "Please listen carefully to what they have to say. Until tomorrow… Farewell."

Seteth stood stiffly before them as Lady Rhea retreated from the chambers.

"I will have someone show you both to your rooms," he said firmly. "They will also show you the dining hall. Dinner is at seven and ends at eight thirty. If you miss dinner, there will be no exceptions made for you, so do be on time."

With that, he turned and left the hall, leaving a surprised Byleth and a quiet Jeralt behind him.

"He doesn't seem very… polite." Byleth observed.

"He just takes his job seriously," Jeralt said before sighing. "I can't believe it. Forced back into the Knights of Seiros. I'm sorry I dragged you into this. Looks like I'll be stuck here for a while… and I'm afraid your services are requested as well."

"I must work here?" Byleth questioned. "Doing what? Servant jobs? Mercenary work?"

"They want you to teach, from what Alois told me," Jeralt explained, looking just as thrown off as Byleth felt. "Apparently, one of the people who was with those brats from the Officers Academy ran off during the bandit attack, and another woman who was supposed to take one of the houses will be unable to this year due to some of her infirmary helpers quitting unexpectedly. She'll be too busy running it by herself to teach them. So the three classes will be divided between you and the remaining professor. So Alois said he was going to recommend you to Lady Rhea."

The doors opened and a Knight came in, announcing he was to show them to their rooms and then the dining hall.

"Get some rest, kid," Jeralt ordered. "You'll likely have a busy day tomorrow. Jeez. My kid, the mercenary, a teacher. What's the world coming to?"

Byleth was wondering the same thing. A teacher? He didn't know the first thing about teaching. He'd have to get to know each student's strengths and weaknesses and come up with their _lesson_ _plans_ , and teach battle tactics, strategy…

He was getting a headache just thinking about it.

**_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_ **

The next morning, Byleth was awoken early by a firm knock on his door. Rising from the bed, he opened just a crack to peer at the Knight outside.

"Lady Rhea wishes to see you in the Audience Chamber."

"Very well," Byleth agreed. "I'll head there once I am dressed."

The Knight nodded politely before returning to his patrol, as Byleth closed the door behind him. He quickly dressed himself before leaving the room, navigating the path to the second floor and the Audience Chamber. It was no surprise to find Lady Rhea and Seteth waiting there, though Byleth wondered why the latter was staring at him so intensely. He noticed Manuela and Hanneman were exiting the chamber as he entered. He had met them at dinner the previous night - Hanneman was going to be the other Professor to one of the classes, while Byleth would teach the remaining two. Manuela was supposed to have taken one before becoming swamped down in the infirmary fiasco, which she had spent most of the meal complaining about. Then they had taken it upon themselves to give him a detailed breakdown on the three houses.

Hanneman has mentioned they tried to ask another member of the church, a man named Jeritza, but he had turned it down, as had a few knights that had been asked. Hanneman had been kind enough to tell Byleth that he had asked Lady Rhea to allow the new professor to pick which houses he wished to teach.

He suspected this was why he had been summoned this morning. Now he simply wondered why Seteth looked as if he had been sucking on a lemon.

"Good morning, Byleth," Seteth greeted coolly. "I trust you slept well?"

"Yes," Byleth agreed politely. "You wished to see me, Lady Rhea?"

"I did." Lady Rhea smiled softly. "I assume you are already aware that you will be teaching here at the Officers Academy. Correct?"

"Yes."

"To start, I want you to speak with the three house leaders, and their students," Lady Rhea instructed, her tone soft yet firm, making it clear this was an order. "Also take a look around the academy and acquaint yourself with your new home. That is your first task here at the monastery."

"Very well, Lady Rhea," Byleth replied with a bow.

"Once you have finished, come and speak with me again, then you will decide which houses you wish to teach."

Byleth bowed politely again before turning on his heels to exit the audience chamber. Seteth had moved away to chat with Alois, the Knight having entered while Rhea was giving Byleth his task for the day. Byleth pauses to speak with them for only a moment before moving on and leaving them to their conversation about the man who had run off - the one who was supposed to be teaching here as opposed to Byleth. Seteth wanted him found and punished for abandoning the three heirs to their fates.

He came across Edelgard first, and she looked up from the book in her hands when he strolled over.

"So you've accepted a teaching position here," she said, closing the book to gaze at him in a scrutinizing manner. "Pity. I was hoping you would lend your strength to the Empire. I never did introduce myself properly, did I? My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg. I am the princess and heir apparent of the Adrestian Empire."

"I see," Byleth mused.

"So, would you consider leading the Black Eagles?" Edelgard asked, a smile spreading across her face. "I can tell you all about them, if you'd like."

"That would be appreciated."

So she launched into explanations for each member of her house. She spoke quite fondly of Hubert von Vestra, a friend of hers since childhood, and went into detail on his family. The smile faded a bit when she spoke of Ferdinand von Aegir, making it clear that she did not seem overly fond of the Prime Minister's son. He seemed to think himself Edelgard's rival, a fact she was displeased with. Linhardt von Hevring was someone she spoke about with an exasperated fondness. The boy was intelligent, but he focused only on the things that interested him. Caspar von Bergliez was the second son of his family, and seemed to have a drive for fighting that Edelgard found concerning. Bernadetta von Varley was a shy and gentle girl, who likes to hide away in her room more than anything else. Dorothea Arnault was one of the few commoners in the Black Eagle house, but she was quite well known for her work with the Mittelfrank Opera Company, and was adept in magic. Finally, Petra Macneary was what amounted to an exchange student from Brigid, a vassal state of the Adrestian Empire who Edelgard said was very studious.

While the information was helpful, Byleth decided he would like to meet the students himself before making any sort of decisions. And so he spoke with both Claude and Dimitri in much the same way he had Edelgard, learning their opinions on their classmates before he tracked them down himself to get to know them. Since the house leaders were the only ones who knew he was going to be their Professor, he didn't have to worry about the students pretending to be something or someone they weren't.

He also ran into Professor Jeritza, who had been placed in charge of weapon instruction for some of the younger students, and it was easy to see why the man had refused to take one of the houses. He came off as very brusque and standoffish.

He found the students sequestered to their assigned classrooms and took the time to meet each. He found the Black Eagle house to be full of competent individuals, though the underlying tension between Hubert and Ferdinand quickly made Byleth uncomfortable. The two always seemed to be arguing about something every few minutes and it almost always had something to do with Edelgard. In the complete opposite end of the spectrum was the Golden Deer - the students there were so relaxed and comfortable with each other. They had a lazy air about them, but it was clear to see that they took their futures seriously. In the middle were the Blue Lions. While they were more serious than the laid back Golden Deer, they weren't as serious as the Black Eagles appeared to be. With the exception of Linhardt, Bernadetta and Caspar, that is.

Byleth was quite confident in his choices now. He told Rhea that he wished to choose the Blue Lions and the Golden Deer, leaving Hanneman to handle the Black Eagles.

Now he would have to worry about perfecting separate lesson plans for each student based on their goals. But first, he supposed, he would simply worry about the upcoming mock battle.

Byleth smiles to himself as he enters the Blue Lions classroom on the first morning of class the next day. The students stare at him gobsmacked for a moment before Annette speaks.

"Oh no, I was speaking to you so casually, as though we were companions!" She groaned, placing her head in her hands. "Oh, I am so sorry, Professor! You just look the same age as the rest of us, and… Oh, and I'm sorry I just said that, too! I really must watch my tongue…"

Byleth chuckled. "It's fine, Annette. I am your Professor, yes, but seeing as we are all close in age, I don't mind being treated as a friend, also."

"You say that, but… I just don't know about all of this…" she trailed off unsurely.

"I'll admit, it doesn't sit well with me either," Dimitri admitted, frowning. "After all, we wish to show you due respect."

Sylvain shrugged. "If the professor says it's okay, shouldn't that be enough? That is.. if Your Highness can consent to such a thing. After all, we're already speaking this way to our future king, so we may as well relax our speech with our professor, too, right?"

Dimitri glanced at his friend before slowly nodding. "Well, we're not in the Kingdom, so it only goes to follow that we should all speak companionably." He sighed. "I concede. If the professor says it's fine, we ought to accept that kindness gratefully."

"As for me, I'm not sure I can manage," Ingrid admitted, her green eyes worried.

Mercedes sent the girl a kind smile. "You don't have to force yourself if it's too difficult. You're fine with that too, right, Professor?"

"Of course," Byleth admitted. "Now, where are the Golden Deer? I told Claude what time to be here."

"Sorry, Teach, had trouble getting Hilda out of bed."

Byleth and the Blue Lions turned at Claude's voice. He stood in the doorway of the classroom, trademark grin on his face and with the Golden Deer hovering awkwardly behind him.

"Alright, enough chatting," Byleth ordered, tone light. "Everyone to your seats, we only have a few days to prepare for the mock battle. Today I will be calling each student up here one by one to learn what their future goals are, and together we will decide on what Master Class you will all strive for."

The students shuffled into their seats, Blue Lions sticking to the right side of the classroom while the Golden Deer took to the left. Byleth frowned - he had hoped the students would mix together a little more, but perhaps that sort of bond would take time.

"Alright, Dimitri, I'd like to speak with you, first…"

By the time lunch rolled around, Byleth had successfully spoken to each of the students and the black board behind him had their names along with the Master Classes they would strive for written on it. He let them go to lunch and stayed behind for a moment, staring at the chalkboard. Some of the students had been firm in their knowledge of what they wanted to be while others hadn't provided Byleth with an answer.

**Dimitri - ?**

**Dedue - ?**

**Felix - ?**

**Ingrid - Falcon Knight**

**Sylvain - ?**

**Annette - Dark Knight**

**Mercedes - Gremory**

**Ashe - ?**

**Claude - Wyvern Master**

**Hilda - ?**

**Ignatz - Bow Knight**

**Leonie - Falcon Knight**

**Raphael - War Master**

**Lorenz - ?**

**Marianne - Gremory**

**Lysithea - ?**

Byleth would have to set the lesson plans for each student tonight, finalize what skills they needed to focus on. Even his mages would be learning a weapon skill of some type, since he didn't want them vulnerable on the battlefield before they learned any powerful spells.

Well, he would begin with that after lunch. For now, he was starving.


End file.
